Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.12 Theoretical framework
2.12.1 Dualistic Model of Passion
Vallerand and his colleagues (Vallerand, 2008; Vallerand, 2010; Vallerand et al., 2003) developed a model of passion that addresses the dualism inherent in passion. In line with self- determination theory (SDT) (Deci & Ryan 2000), the dualistic model of passion (DMP) posits that individuals are motivated to explore their environment in order to develop as individuals.
In so doing, they engage in a variety of activities. Of these, only a few will be perceived as particularly enjoyable, important, and to have some resonance with how people see themselves (Vallerand et al., 2003). From these few activities one or two will eventually be preferred and engaged in on a regular basis and turn out to be activities that one is passionate about. Thus, Vallerand et al., (2003) defined passion as a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that one likes (or even loves), finds important, and in which one invests time and energy on a regular basis.
Vallerand and his colleagues (Vallerand et al., 2003) proposed the dualistic model of passion, identifying two types of passion, harmonious and obsessive passion. Obsessive passion (OP)
refers to a controlled internalization of an activity in one’s identity that creates an internal pressure to engage in the activity that the person likes. Harmonious passion (HP) refers to an autonomous internalization that leads individuals to choose to engage in the activity that they like (Philippe, Vallerand & Lavigne, 2009).
The last decade has seen a mounting interest in positive psychology and in the quest for what makes life fulfilling and worth living (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). According to Vallerand (2008) this can be found in passions and activities that people are passionate about.
Indeed, people who frequently engage in an activity that they deeply love and value may feel good about this activity and experience positive emotions during task engagement. In addition, they may also come to feel more zest and meaning in their life than people who are not passionate about anything in their life, because passionate people have something to look forward to when they rise in the morning (Philippe, Vallerand & Lavigne, 2009).
Passion for work is most commonly conceptualized as a strong inclination toward work that one loves, considers highly important and a vital part of one’s self-concept, and in which one invests significant amounts of time and energy (Vallerand, 2008). According to Vallerand et al. (2003, p. 756) “passion can fuel motivation, enhance well-being, and provide meaning in everyday life”. However, as they also point out, passion can arouse negative emotions, lead to inflexible persistence, and interfere with achieving a balanced, successful life.
HP and OP can also be related to work passion. Harmonious passion in relation to work passion refers to a controllable inclination towards work where work is important and fun, and a part of one’s identity, yet not completely consuming (Vallerand et al. 2003). HP has been associated with a range of beneficial outcomes, including in-role performance, wellbeing, flow, organisational commitment, and positive affect (Vallerand et al., 2003). In contrast, obsessive passion in relation to work passion refers to an internal pressure that forces the individual into working (Vallerand et al. 2003). With OP, the person also loves their work and considers it part of her or his identity, but they also feel compelled to engage in it because of internal contingencies that come to control them (e.g. the need for social status or self-esteem) Vallerand et al. 2003). OP has been associated with a range of negative outcomes such as burnout, rumination, role conflict, and work / family conflict.
The dualistic model of passion is relevant for this study, helping us understand the passions of employees at the incubator. This model helps us identify whether the employees at the
incubator have a passion for their work. If they do have a passion for their work, the model helps us understand if they have harmonious or obsessive passion. The type of passion they have towards their work will help us to understand whether they find their work to be important, fun and a part of their identity or whether they feel forced into working. The type of passion the employees have will also determine their performance in the organisation, if they have harmonious passion, their performance levels are likely to be higher whereas if they have obsessive passion, this is likely to lead to negative outcomes and possibly lower levels of performance.
A study sought to determine the role of the two types of passion in various cognitive and affective states associated with dependence and problems with gambling (Ratelle, Vallerand, Mageau, Rousseau & Provencher, 2005). The study recruited 412 participants at the Montréal Casino and given a questionnaire measuring passion toward gambling, as well as consequences associated with dependence and problem gambling. Results showed that obsessive passion for gambling predicted poorer vitality and concentration in daily tasks, as well as increased rumination, anxiety, negative mood, guilt, and problem gambling (Philippe & Vallerand, 2007). These relations were not found for harmonious passion for gambling (Vallerand et al., 2003).
A study was designed to evaluate the application of the Dualistic Model of Passion to recreational marijuana consumption (Davis & Arterberry, 2019). Using web-based recruitment and data collection procedures, an online sample of 524 frequent marijuana consumers were administered a modified version of the Passion Scale (Marijuana-Harmonious and Obsessive Passion Scale; M-HOPS) (Davis & Arterberry, 2019). Results from a canonical correlation analysis indicated that obsessive passion scores were significantly positively associated with past 30-day consumption, average number of sessions per day, craving, and number of consumption-related problems, while controlling for gender, ethnicity, and harmonious passion scores (Davis & Arterberry, 2019). Additionally, harmonious passion scores were significantly negatively associated with number of consumption-related problems and positively associated with life satisfaction, while controlling for ethnicity, gender, and obsessive passion scores (Davis & Arterberry, 2019).
A sequence of determinants and affective experiences of passion toward sport was proposed and tested in several studies. In line with the dualistic model of passion (Vallerand et al., 2003), results from research suggest that activity valuation and personality orientations represent
important determinants of harmonious passion and obsessive passion toward sport activities.
Findings revealed that high levels of activity valuation and autonomous personality predict harmonious passion whereas high levels of activity valuation and a controlled personality predict obsessive passion (Vallerand, Mageau, Elliot, Dumais, Demers & Rousseau, 2008).
The results also suggest that athletes with a harmonious passion toward sport are more likely to experience positive affective experiences in their sport than athletes with an obsessive passion.